Cooking utensil



E R U L C c M R E July l2 19,27.

cooxma UTENSIL Filed Jan. 2e. 1926 VET l DEQ d. 7N 40 o IF Z I2', A I W Patented July 12, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELMER P. MOGLURE, 0F WESTERN SPRINGS, ILLINOIS, ASSIGY'NOR TO ALUMINUM PRODUCTS COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

COOKING UTEN SIL.

Application tlled January 28, 1926. Serial No. 84,271.

This invention relates to improvements in culinary utensils, and has special reference to pressure cookers. n

One of the general objects of the invention is the provision of means for improving the cuisine in the preparation of food and for improving the quality of the food.

A more specific object is to provide improved means for sealing the closure of the vessel and another convenient means for holding the cover in place.

Another object is the provision of means for distributing the applied heatV evenly over the entire bottom surface of the cooker.

A further object is to provide an improved alarm whistle, operable as a warning signal when heat in excess of that required, is applied and when moisture has been exhausted.

Other objects, advantages and benefits of the invention will readily appear to persons skilled in the art from a consideration of the following description and the accompanylng drawings, forming a part hereof, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the cooker.

Figure 2 is an enlarged elevation showing parts in section, takensubstantially on line IL-IF of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged section taken substantiallyon line III-III of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sec.

tion of the separable heat distributing base late.

Invlall the views the same reference characters are used .to designate similar parts.

As shown on the drawings:

The cooker vessel 5 is substantially cylindrical in form havingits lower end closed by the bottom 6, and having its outer end, near the top surface thereof, outturned and then downturned to form an inner annular channel and shoulder 7, and an outer shoulder 8. The wall 9 is then upturned and brought into parallelism with a plane containing the wall- 5. The outer marginal edge is then formed into a bead 10 to cover the raw edge that would be otherwise eX- posed'.

The cover 11 is provided near its marginal edge or perimeter with a flange 12, and has its raw edge inturned to form the bead 13. The bead 13'. ts snugly in the de ression or groove formed between the s oulders 7- and 8. Thejannular groove formed by these shoulders is intended to hold and contain moisture to make the joint between the cover and body part 5 more complete, thus sealing the two parts together to prevent escape of moisture or other fluids from the interlor ofthe vessel.

Riveted to the cover 11, or otherwise fixed thereto,` are a plurality of spaced clamping device hinge members 14. A clamp member 16 is hinged 113,17 to each hinge member 14 and is bentl or formed to provide a bight 'portion or arm 17 to engage under thel shoulder 8 to resiliently clamp the cover to the bodynpart of the vessel. Each clamp member 16 is returned upon itself'at 18A and terminates in a curved finger piece-0r handle 19. The clamping members 16 are preferably constructed of'spring steel, or other similar resilient metal, so as to produce a clamping action that will resiliently hold the parts together.

To remove the cover it is only necessary to raise the handles 19 by' application of the fingers thereunder, whereupon the looped arms 18 will be moved from under4 the shoulder 8 of the vessel, which will relieve the cover of the pressure effected by the clamps.

It is .sometimes advisable to notify the person in charge when the heat applied to the vessel is excessive. Therefore, a whistle alarm device, shown more clearly in section in Figure 3, is employed embodied in a small casing 21 which is perforated in the bottom at 22. An annular flange 23 is integrally formed on the upper portion of the casing 21 and is in contact with the flange of a cover 24. The cover is convex and projects through an opening 25 made in the cover 11 of the vessel. Lying inside of the casing 21 is a weight 26 which normally closes the opening 22 in the casing. The weight of the body 26 will determine the extent of pressure to be maintainedwithin the casing, and the device just describedv serves as a blow-off or means for relieving the pressure when the pressure within the vessel has reached a pre# determined value.

In the casing 21 is a partition 27, which is perforated at 28, which perforation registers with a perforation 29 in the cover so that when moisture or air passes throu h the opening 22v and through the perforatlons 28 and 29, a whistling sound is produced. The

partition 27 also serves as a means for preventing the weight 26 from rising too high in the casing. The device just described may be secured to the cover by any suitable nlans, as by screws, spot welding, or the Secured on the cover 11 i s a gauge 30 which may be used to indicate the pressure within thevessel. A stop cock 31 is used on the cover for the purpose of admitting air into the vessel after the condensation of the vapors therein which produce a vacuum tendency thatholds the top very tightly in place, unless the pressure therein is substantially equal to atmospheric pressure, and this is the office of the stop cock 31.

In the use of the device, the stop cock 31 is opened and the heat is applied to the bottom of the vessel. After the air, or a large portion thereof, has been driven out through the stop cock 31, the stop cock is closed, and the contents of the vessel are cooked in the presence of moisture.

The moisture or condensed steam held in the annular groove between the shoulders 7 and 8 of the vessel` serves to produce a seal, and materially contributes toward producing a tight joint between the cover 11 and the vessel 5.

In order that the heat applied to the vessel may not be localized on the bottom plate, I provide a separable supplementary bottom structure. This structure consists of metal disks 33 and 34 which are substantially duplicates, and each of which has an annular flange 35 at substantially right `angles to the body part of the disks. The disks 33 and 34 are spaced in parallel relation with the flanges outturned. Between said disks, i's a disk of asbestos or other insulating material 36, which is a poorer conductor of heat than the disks and which acts as a distributor of heat by diffusing it over a large area under the bottom of the superposed utensil. The metal disks 33 and 34 with the intervening asbestos disk 36 are held together in assembled relation by a metal ring 37 which has its side edges turned over the edges off the flanges 35 asvat 38. This not only holds the assembled parts together` but it covers the raw edges of the flanges 35.

To permit the escape of the gases and the products of combustion, perforations 39 are provided through the ring 37 and each of the flanges 35. By putting the vents or perforations 39 through the ring 37 on each side of the disks 33 and 34, the distributor will operate equally well when either side is turned toward the source of heat supply.

The heat distributor prevents concentration of heat on the bottom 6 of the utensil and avoids danger of burning the contents.

I am aware that manymhanges may be made, and numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon, otherwise than necessitated by the prior art. I claim as my invention:

1. A clamp for a cooker comprising a clamping member of resilient material having hinge means at one end, a cooperating hinge member therefor secured to the cover of said cooker, the other end of said clamping member outturned to form a handle, the intermediate part having a bight formed therein to engage beneath an outturned portion of the cooker to yieldingly clamp the cover and cooker together.

2. A cooker vessel having its cylindrical wall out-turned near its open end to form a shoulder and then up-turned in a plane substantially parallel with said cylinder wall, said shoulder having a transversely curved groove in its upper face, and a cover having an annular Aflange within the up-turned upper portion of the vessel wall when the cover is in place and having a rounded bead at the lower edge of said flange extending snugly into the said groove of' the shoulder, and spring clamps, each clamp lhaving two hinged members mounted on the cover, one of said members being fixed to the cover and the other member engaging the external lower surface of theshoulder to yieldingly hold the cover in place.

3. A cooker vessel having its cylindrical wall out-turned near its open end to form a shoulder and then up-turned in a plane substantilally parallel with said cylinder wall, said shoulder having a transversely curved groove in its upper face, and a cover having an annular flange within the up-turned upper portion of the vessel wall when the cover is in place and having a rounded bead at the lower edge of said flane extending snugly into the said groove of the shoulder, said groove ol" said shoulder forming an external rib on the lower face of the shoulder, and spring clamps, each clamp having two hinged members mounted on the cover, one of said members being fixed to the cover and the other member engaging the external rib of the shoulder to yieldingly hold the cover in place.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto suhscribed my name.

ELMER P. MCCLURE. 

